The Impact of Biotechnology on Animals
a journey through the lives of animals and how they benefit humans...
Animal Biotechnology relies on various techniques that apply genetic engineering to produce the desired product or organism. Since the beginning of time, agriculturalists and scientists have used selective breeding to retrieve a particular trait from an organism. Genetic engineering and selective breeding differ, however, both processes depend on the change of genetic material, which can result in the desired trait. Despite such a similarity, genetic engineering is a much more efficient process as it allows for a faster transferal of genes than selective breeding. Moreover, with genetic engineering it is possible to transfer an unrelated organism’s genes; a procedure not possible by selective breeding. Animal biotechnology can be divided into three technological sectors:
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TRANSGENICS
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CLONING
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ANIMAL GENOMICS
TECHNOLOGY
Related Links
Human Genome is a part of NCBI, a biotechnology database. Provides sequences, maps, and chromosomes on various organisms. Compares gene mapping of similar organisms. Find more information:
University of Utah explains why researchers clone animals. The site goes further and provides examples of techniques involved in cloning, and the animals that have been already cloned. Find more information: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu
Center For Genetics And Society provide a variety of pools on the public's reaction to animal cloning. With approval and disapproval rate for each organism, the site goes in depth to explain the public's view on the cloning of a particular organism. Find more information on:
The Nature Education Project Knowledge Project hosted by the University of Illinois, Animal Department is aimed to inform others of transgenic organims, and related techniques. It explains all its facts objectively, with an included glossary of difficult words. Find More Information:
Animal Genomics
Genomics is the study of genomes to determine the entire DNA sequence of a particular organism. DNA sequencing and genetic screening allows for an accurate analysis of genetic variation between different animals. Having access to this genome data, allows scientist to quickly interpret exactly what individual gene is responsible for a particular trait in an organism. Furthermore, the information can aid scientists in understanding the evolutionary history of organisms, and their relationship to humans; allowing scientists to use animal models that accurately resemble humans.
Animal genomes can be compared to those of other animals; in this genetic map the chromosomes of mouse and humans are compared. Similarities between mouse and humans chromosomes, reveal that mice are capable of becoming ideal animal models.
The genome mapping also displays the evolutionary history of animals, which can lead to possible medical treatments in the future. Find more information on:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/human-genome-project-results1.htm
Transgenic organisms are organisms have been modified to include a foreign gene from another, unrelated animal. Such a transfusion is possible by inserting DNA into a vector that may be a virus or bacteria. The theory behind this technique is that when the organism matures, it will display the characteristics of a donor gene. Such organisms can also pass on this trait to their offspring. Transgenics may be used for a variety of reasons: from adding disease resistant traits to making the animal leaner.
The graph on the left displays the animals that are most commonly used to perform transgenic experiments. Because mouse, fish, rats are all small creatures, that are similar to the human physiology, they are used more commonly than other organisms. Over the years as animal biotechnology has expanded so has the use of these animals.
These percentages only involve experiments conducted in the UK, however accurately reflect the statistics of experiments done in other Western nations as well.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10774409
Transgenics
Spider silk has a countless amount of uses that include artifical ligments, tendons, and bulletproof vests. However, there are simply not enough spiders to create the necessary silk; therefore, the desired trait is transferred to goats. The goats harvest the required amount of spider silk in their milk. Find more
information:http://www.ecouterre.com
World's first cloned mule, Idaho Gem, is a genetically copy of his brother. Scienists initially had difficulty developing cells of horses and mules, Gem was the success that proved it was possible to clone mules. Find more information: http://www.theguardian.com
Images
A mouse with a human immune system. It is the first of its kind, and can be used to aid with various diseases, especially HIV. If the HIV in mice is succesfully treated, it can be translated as a cure to humans. Find more information:
A Massachusetts biotech firm claims to have developed a transgenic salmon that grows faster than a normal salmon.The hybrid fish has been altered with the genes of Pacific Chinook salmon. Find more information:
Snuppy was the first dog to ever be cloned. He is shown next to an Afghan dog whose skin cells were used to clone
Snuppy. Find more information:
The world's population is expected to grow exponentially in the upcoming years. By 2050, the population is predicted to reach 9.2 billion from the current 7 billion. This population growth implies that agriculturalists will have to produce more food to meet the daily requirements of every person; however,that becomes difficult to do, when the land or the animals do not grow at the same rate as humans. Animal Biotechnology provides a more efficent alternative
Note: survey taken from http://cnx.org/content/m41190/latest/
Cloning animals include using reproductive technology to make identical copies of genetically superior organisms possessing the desired characteristics. One of the most common techniques is the Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. SCNT has been used to clone goats, sheep, cats, mules, etc. It involves transferring genetic information from a donor cell to an unfertilized egg, which is then implanted into a surrogate mother. Reproductive techniques are extremely difficult to manipulate and are one of the most controversial topics in animal biotechnology. In 1996, Dolly the Sheep, transformed human history as it became the first animal to be cloned from adult cells rather than an embryonic
Cloning
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